How to Make Brushing Teeth More Fun for Kids

Claire Small
Authored by Claire Small
Posted Saturday, June 29, 2019 - 9:25pm

Are your kids reluctant to brush their teeth, and resist or even outright refuse to cooperate? It should come as no surprise that standing in front of the sink and brushing teeth isn’t exactly high on any kid’s priority lies – but there are ways that you can put it there by making it more fun.

If you want to add a dash of excitement and make brushing teeth a fun activity for your kids, there are a few things that you could try:

  • Find a song that your kids enjoy and play it while brushing

Playing a song that your kids like while brushing can help make it more interesting. That song can become their ‘brushing’ song, and if you want you can have a couple of different options that you let your kids choose from.

Aside from making brushing more interesting, the song will act as a timer as well that encourages your kids to spend more time brushing and not try to rush through it. That will help ensure they spend at least 2 to 3 minutes brushing their teeth and are more thorough.

If you want you could even dance around while brushing – provided you check that their technique is still good.

  • Count the number of strokes and see who wins

One simple game that can make brushing more fun is to get your kids to count the number of strokes they perform while brushing. The goal is to have the most number of strokes in the 2 to 3 minutes that are spent brushing their teeth.

While this game works best if you’re brushing alongside your kid (which helps set a good example), it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Instead if your kid is the only one brushing, try to get them to beat their previous record or hit a specific target (such as 60 strokes in 60 seconds).

Just be careful the brushing isn’t too vigorous that it damages the child’s gums. Teach them that brushing thoroughly but gently is the goal that they want to achieve.

  • See who can get the most foam while brushing

Another fun (if messy) game that you can try is to see who can generate the most foam while they brush their teeth. Kids will be thrilled by the prospect of getting lots of foam, and making it a game will add to their excitement.

If you want you can compare the foam and see which blob is bigger when you spit. Alternatively you could get them to smile or make a face before they spit and compare the amount of foam that is visible when you do.

Another option that you should try is to pronounce words with your mouths filled with foam and have the other person guess what is being said. Afterwards you can teach them to clean the foam up too – which is always a good habit to instill.

It may not hurt to ask for other ideas when you next visit your dentist. Any dentist near Harley Street will undoubtedly have lots of experience with kids, and should be able to give you some tips on how to make brushing more fun for them.

If you are able to make brushing teeth an enjoyable experience, it should help to overcome any reluctance your kids may have and they could end up actually looking forward to brushing their teeth. On top of that it will make them more likely to be thorough and receptive to any tips you may have to improve their brushing.

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